This invention relates to the methods and devices (guns, fire arms, jackhammer, sand blasters, abrasive waterjets, forming presses, needle-free syringes) utilized for the acceleration of a solid body (bullets, particle, slug, striker, die) to a velocity sufficient for removal, deformation or modification of the target material.
Material processing via impact of a fast moving solid slug is a common practice of material processing technology. The application of this technique is illustrated by the operation of such devices as a gun, steam hammer, stamping press, jack hammer, sand blaster, abrasive jet, needle-free medication delivery system, etc. Despite the design and application differences the operation of all devices above is based on a common principle. A solid body (the striker, the bullet, the die, the abrasive particle, etc.) is accelerated by a moving solid or fluid media. The acceleration can be attained by pushing of a solid slug or entrainment of solid particles into a moving stream. A driving fluid can be supplied from an outside source (steam hammer, jackhammer, abrasive waterjet) or generated within the device (a gun). A solid body can be connected to a driver via links (the eccentric press). Despite a wide variety of the design and applications the devices above have common shortcomings.
The solid slug should be replaced for each shot as a gun bullet or should be retracted. The former requires storing the slugs while the latter limits the distance between the exit of the barrel and the target.
Non-retractable slugs (bullets) pollute the area in vicinity of the targets as well as disclose the way and the source of firing.
It is difficult if not impossible to change the propertys of the slug in the course of the gun operations.
In the course of the multiple firing the driving fluid must be removed from the barrel after each shot. This limits the frequency of the firing.
In the existing guns the bullet is not fixed thus the expansion of the driving fluid started immediately as the fluid generated or supplied into the barrel. This limits the maximum slug velocity attained in the course of firing.
It is in object of the present invention to generate the slug (bullet) in a barrel in the course of firing.
It is a further object of the present invention to control the slug characteristics in the course of the slug formation.
It is a further object of the present invention to control precisely the pressure exerted on the slug.
It is a further object of the present invention to eliminate the slug after the impact.
Generally the present invention comprises a method and device for generation of solid slugs and acceleration of these slugs at the precisely controlled manner up to a high precisely controlled.
In accordance with the method of the present invention the formation and acceleration of the slug is effected by the steps of:
Accumulation of a fluid, a solution, a suspension or a slurry in a precisely controlled section of the barrel.
Cooling the fluid accumulated in a precisely controlled section of the barrel at a precisely controlled rate until the solidification of the precisely controlled amount of fluid is completed.
Exert the axial force on the slug when the solidification of the fluid is completed.
Control the static pressure in the barrel after completion of the slug formation.
Energy injection in the fluid accumulated in the barrel after the slug formation in order to increase the pressure in the barrel.
Increase the pressure in the supply reservoir in order to control pressure in the barrel.
Supply an additional high pressure fluid into the barrel in order to control pressure after the slug formation.
Control the adhesion forces between the walls of the barrel and the slug by heating of the barrel-slug interface and by applying expanding forces to the barrel at the site of the slug formation.
Separation of the slug from the barrel using high pressure fluid, piston or magnetic field.
Acceleration of the separated slug by the exerting the force which caused slug separation, applying a different force or both.
Precise control of the slug velocity by the control of the driving force and the distance between the edge of the barrel and the site of the slug formation.
Collecting of the fluid escaping barrel and return it to the fluid reservoir.
Directing the barrel to a desired site of the target
Selecting the impact conditions so that a desired form of the material processing (removal, deformation, melting, modification) is attained.
Control the frequency of the impacts by the control of duration of slug formation and the selection of a number of barrels used simultaneously and in a sequence.
The device for the use in the effecting the method of the present invention comprises of:
A cylindrical or shaped barrel filled with water or another fluid to be frozen and facilitated with a movable cooling coil or an electrical cooling element
A fluid source connected with the barrel via a conduit with a check valve
A movable opening in the barrel covered by a moving lock so that fluid in the barrel cannot be accumulated beyond the selected site of the slug formation
A coaxial moving heating coils attached to the barrel so that the location and the length of the region of freezing is precisely controlled
A coaxial heating and magnetic coils attached to the barrel so that the temperature of the ice-barrel interface and the stresses in this interface can be precisely controlled
Electrodes, connected with a system controlling supply of the fluid and the cooling media in the barrel and inserted into the barrel in the site of the slug formation so that the electrical resistance between the electrodes increases as water freezing
Pressure sensor installed in the barrel before the site of the slug formation is connected with system controlling supply of the fluid and the cooling media in the barrel
The source of a high pressure fluid connected with barrel via a conduit facilitated with a control valve or an attachment for powder explosion
A guiding mechanism controlling the position of the gunso that the direction of the axis is precisely controlled.
An array of barrels connected with same sources of a low and high pressure fluids